عَطَونَthey stretched upward بِأَعناقِwith the necks of الظِباءِgazelles وَأَشرَقَتand shone
عَطَونَ بِأَعناقِ الظِباءِ وَأَشرَقَت
وُجوهٌfaces عَلَيهاupon them نَضرَةٌfresh radiance وَنَعيمُand bliss
وُجوهٌ عَلَيها نَضرَةٌ وَنَعيمُ
They stretched forth gazelle-like necks, and there shone
Faces graced with freshness and bliss.
أَمَطنَthey drew aside سُجوفاًveils عَنfrom خُدودٍcheeks نَقِيَّةٍunblemished
أَمَطنَ سُجوفاً عَن خُدودٍ نَقِيَّةٍ
صَفاwas clear بَشَرٌcomplexion مِنهاof them وَرَقَّand was delicate أَديمُskin
صَفا بَشَرٌ مِنها وَرَقَّ أَديمُ
They drew aside veils from unblemished cheeks,
Their complexion clear, their skin delicate.
شُفوفٌsheer garments عَلىupon أَجسادِهِنَّtheir bodies رَقيقَةٌfine
شُفوفٌ عَلى أَجسادِهِنَّ رَقيقَةٌ
وَدُرٌّand pearls عَلىupon لَبّاتِهِنَّthe hollows of their throats نَظيمُstrung in order
وَدُرٌّ عَلى لَبّاتِهِنَّ نَظيمُ
Fine, sheer garments lay upon their bodies,
And strung pearls upon the hollows of their throats.
يُجِلنَthey set turning خَلاخيلَanklets of النُضارِpure gold وَمِلؤُهاand what fills them
يُجِلنَ خَلاخيلَ النُضارِ وَمِلؤُها
بَوادِيُّvisible shoots غَيلٍa thicket بَينَهُنَّamong them عَميمُluxuriant
بَوادِيُّ غَيلٍ بَينَهُنَّ عَميمُ
They set pure-gold anklets turning, and what fills them is
The visible shoots of a thicket, luxuriant among them.
تَأَطُّرَwith the swaying of أَغصانِbranches of الأَراكِthe arak tree أَمالَهاbent them
تَأَطُّرَ أَغصانِ الأَراكِ أَمالَها
وَقَدwhile already رَقَّhad grown thin جِلبابُthe cloak of الظَلامِdarkness نَسيمُa breeze
وَقَد رَقَّ جِلبابُ الظَلامِ نَسيمُ
Swaying like arak boughs, bent
By a breeze as the cloak of darkness thinned.
غَراميmy passion جَديدٌfresh بِالدِيارِfor the dwellings وَأَهِلهاand their people
غَرامي جَديدٌ بِالدِيارِ وَأَهِلها
وَعَهديand my acquaintance بِهاتيكَwith those الطُلولِruins قَديمُold
وَعَهدي بِهاتيكَ الطُلولِ قَديمُ
My passion for the dwellings and their people is fresh,
Yet my acquaintance with those ruins is old.
يَقولونَthey say ماnot أَبقَيتَyou have left لِلعَينِfor the eye عَبرَةًa tear
يَقولونَ ما أَبقَيتَ لِلعَينِ عَبرَةً
فَقُلتُso I said جَوىًburning heartache لَوif only تَعلَمونَyou knew أَليمُpainful
فَقُلتُ جَوىً لَو تَعلَمونَ أَليمُ
They say, “You have left no tear for the eye.”
So I said, “A painful, burning heartache, if you only knew.”
أَيَسمَحُwould it give freely? جَفنيmy eyelid بِالدُموعِwith tears وَأَغتَديwhile I become
أَيَسمَحُ جَفني بِالدُموعِ وَأَغتَدي
ضَنيناًstingy بِهاwith them إِنّيindeed I إِذاًthen لَلَئيمُsurely base
ضَنيناً بِها إِنّي إِذاً لَلَئيمُ
Would my eyelid give tears freely, while I become
Stingy with them? Then I would indeed be base.
وَلَوand if بَخُلَتwas stingy عَينيmy eye إِذاًthen لَعَسَفتُهاI would surely force it
وَلَو بَخُلَت عَيني إِذاً لَعَسَفتُها
فَكَيفَhow then? وَدَمعُwhen the tears of الناظِرينَthe two eyes كَريمُbountiful
فَكَيفَ وَدَمعُ الناظِرينَ كَريمُ
And were my eye stingy, I would surely force it;
How then, when the tears of both eyes are bountiful?
Sol 6.1